Why Your Small Business Needs an Email List Yesterday

by Katharine Paljug - @kpaljug on Nov 2, 2015

Email marketing.

If you have a small business, chances are, you’ve heard of it. But are you actually using it?

If you’re busy with sales, publicity, social media, and the dozens of other responsibilities that come with running a small business, it’s easy to dismiss an email list as just one more thing you don’t have time for.

But email marketing isn’t just one more thing on the to-do list. It’s a strategy that puts you in control. When you manage your email list through companies like MailChimp, iContact, Aweber, and Constant Contact, you have the ability to grow your business by communicating directly with your customers.

In fact, there are so many benefits to an email list that your small business doesn’t just need one -- it needed one yesterday. Here’s why.

Connect Directly with Customers

You’ve probably spent a lot of time promoting your business on social media. But what happens when you use Facebook or Twitter?

You have a lot of competition. Thousands of other Facebook ads. Millions of other tweets. And no way to control whether customers will ever see your post.

An email list gives you control over communicating with your customers.

It gives you a platform to contact customers directly -- customers who have expressed interest in your products or services, who have invited you into their inbox. A whopping 50% of customers report that they always open emails from their favorite companies. That’s traffic that you could be taking advantage of, without paying a third party for access or asking for permission.

Establish Your Authority

It’s easy for your customers to find you online. But it’s also easy for them to find your competitors.

A quick search will turn up dozens of options for any product or service that they might need. But you don’t want them to pick any of those other options -- you want them to pick you.

An email list doesn’t just give you the opportunity to sell to your customers. It gives you the chance to show your expertise and prove why you are the best choice out there.

With an email list, you can share information about your brand and your products, explain your process, and address concerns. When one customer emails you a question, you can answer it for everyone. When you launch a new product, you can share your excitement. When you have a piece of advice, you can let them know.

By communicating with your customers on a regular basis, you show that you’re not just part of an industry -- you’re an authority within it. People will begin to trust you. And when they trust you, they are willing to buy.

Build Recognition & Loyalty

What’s better than a customer landing on your website and clicking “buy”?

A customer coming back again and again.

The customers who have already purchased your products or services are more likely to trust you. They know your quality, They know what to expect. But their loyalty is still up for grabs -- and so is their memory.

If you let a customer who has made a purchase get away, never checking in or reminding them who you are, they may not think of you next time.

But with an email list, you have a way to keep in touch. You can share your expertise, reveal new products, or let them know about sales. You can keep your name in their mind. You can build recognition so that you’re always the first brand they think of.

And if you persuade them to keep coming back, eventually you will become their trusted, go-to brand. You’ll have earned their loyalty -- and loyal customers are always willing to buy again.

Increase Sales

When you have a sale, promotion, or new product launch, how do you get the word out?

If the news is only on your website, most people won’t find out. You never know who is going to see a given post on social media. Word of mouth is unreliable and may be too slow.

If you share the news with your email list, though, it’s front and center in their inbox, and that produces results. Two-thirds of consumers have made a purchase online because of an email -- and over 70% of mobile purchases happen because of email promotions!

By selling directly to your email list, you communicate with an audience already primed to buy (after all, they wouldn’t be on your list if they weren’t interested). And with an email, you make it easy for them to click over to your website and see the new sale or product right away.

No delays, no wondering. Just news delivered directly to your customers and an easy way for them to take immediate action.

Turn Leads Into Customers

Why do visitors land on your website?

Because they are interested in your business and what you offer. They are leads -- they are potential customers. They wouldn’t be there otherwise.

Not everyone who visits your website is ready to buy. They may just be browsing, or unsure who you are, or not ready to commit. But the potential is still there.

If you don’t have a way to capture their email address, what happens?

All these leads click away without you knowing who they are or whether they’ll ever come back. These are people who are interested in your business, and you’re just letting them go.

But if you have an email list, you can capture their contact information. You can keep in touch. You can share interesting information or let them know when you have sales happening. And if you’re worried that you’ll put them off by keeping in touch, don’t -- 95% of customers expect a brand to pursue them.

That means all those leads want you to get in touch. And when you do, you increase the likelihood that they will decide to become customers after all.

Back to You

Having an email list is an essential marketing tactic, but one that many small business skip for no better reason than not taking the time to make it happen.

In fact, only 8% of companies have a dedicated email marketing team. That means a lot of companies are missing out on the amazing return that email marketing brings!

If you’re one of the companies not currently taking advantage of email marketing, what’s holding your back? Is it a lack of time or a lack of knowledge?

If you need help to make the most of email marketing, Spruce has a dedicated team of professionals ready to lend a hand. We take care of the setup and management, and you see the return!